Refrigerator



c. E. H. FRYKDAHL Aug. 3, 1937.

REFRIGERATOR Filed May 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m R .R 1 "A.

Aug. 3, 1937;

c. E. H. FRYKDAHL REFRIGERATOR Filed May 22, 1956 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 3, 1937 PATENT, OFFICE REFRIGERATOR Carl Edward Harry-Frykdahl, Duluth, Minn, as-

signor to The Coolerator Company, Duluth, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application May 22, 1936, Serial No. 81,199

14 Claims.

This invention relates to ice refrigerators and it is particularly adapted for refrigerators of large size generally known as the commercial type wherein large quantities of food are refrigerated. The commercial type of refrigerator is designed especially for use in restaurants, cafes, hotels,

inns and the like, but is sometimes also used in large private homes.

In many instances natural circulation of the air in the food compartment of a refrigerator is sufiicient to properly refrigerate the food therein while in other instances it is often desirable to provide forced circulation of the air in the food compartment to satisfactorily preserve and protect the food. This depends generally on the climatic conditions of the locality in which the refrigerator is used. In cold climates natural circulation in the refrigerator is usually sufiicient, while in hot climates forced circulation is desirable and sometimes necessary throughout the year. In temperate climates it is desirable to have natural circulation in winter and forced circulation in summer, and in cold andin hot oil-- mates it is sometimes desirable to have both kinds of circulation.

It is thereforethe primary object of my invention to provide an ice refrigerator which can be easily converted to provide natural circulation or forced circulation to meet the requirements of climatic or other conditions in any region.

Another object is to provide an ice refrigerator which is convertible for natural circulation or for forced circulation by changing the ice rack.

A further object is to provide a highly efficient ice refrigerator which is economical in use and which will preserve food satisfactorily in all climates. I

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the ice compartment and the top part of the food compartment of a refrigerator showing a part thereof broken away and showing the use of a rack for forced circulation of air in the food compartment;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig, 2; and I Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to-Fig'. 1 but showing an ice rack used with a natural circulation of air in the food compartment.

The refrigerator comprises a cabinet I suitably insulated and divided into an ice compartment 8 and a food compartment 9 provided respectively with doors i and II. Ledges l2 and I3 for supporting the ice rack are suitably secured on the front and rear walls of the cabinet between the ice compartment and the food compartment and in substantial alinement with each other.

A main drip pan [4 is arranged in the food compartment near the top thereof and comprises a top plate I suitably spaced from a bottom plate Hi to permit a circulation of air therebetween; Condensation forming on the bottom of the top plate will drip onto the bottom plate and will flow through the extension I! to the tubular discharge I8 Where it will be drained from the refrigerator; The melted ice water falling on the top of the top plate l5 will overflow therefrom onto the bottom plate and likewise will flow through the extension l1 into the discharge and be drained from the refrigerator. The main drip pan is supported at the front by brackets l9 which are securely fastened to the side walls of the refrigerator and at the rear on pins 20 extending outwardly from the side walls of the refrigerator. The drip pan is arranged to decline from front to rear so that proper flow of melted ice water and thecondensation will be afforded to the tubular discharge 18.

A frontdrip pan 2| is securely fastened to the side walls of the refrigerator near the front thereof above the main drip pan l4 and below the front ledge I2 so that drip water falling from the ledge and adjacent part of the ice rack will be received by the front drip pan and will be prevented from falling into the food compartment. The overflow from the front drip pan will fall onto the top plate'i5 of the main drip pan M.

A rear drip pan 22formed by an extension of theliner of the rear wall of the ice compartment is located below the rearledge l3 and declines from rear to front so that drip water falling from the ledge and adjacent part of the ice rack will be received by the rear drip pan and will be prevented from falling into the food compartment. The overflow from the rear drip pan will fall onto the top plate l5 of the main drip pan M. An opening 23'is provided in the rear drip pan for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The rear drip pair has a flange 24 around the opening 23 to prevent water from flowing from the pan through the opening.

When forced circulation of the air in the food compartment is desired a forced circulation ice horizontal header duct 28 connects the rear ends of the rack bars and forms a communication therewith. The rack bars are made in cross section on a large radius at the top 29 and on a small radius at the bottom 30 and are connected by sub- The horizontal duct 28 is provided with longitudinal fins 34 which are fastened to the top of the duct extending near to the bottom of the duct and which are slotted transversely at intervals to permit flow of air, under and through the fins. The ice rests upon the top of the duct and the fins are suspended from the top of the duct and they reduce the temperature of the air flowing through the duct by transfer of heat by conduc- A pair of vertical ducts 35 are securely fastened to the horizontal duct at the bottom thereof on opposite sides of the longitudinal center and extend downwardly through the opening 23 in the rear drip pan 22. A cover plate It is securely fastened to the vertical ducts and'covers the opening 23 to prevent melted ice water from dripping therethrough.

26 A motor 31 is fastened to and between the vertical ducts 35 below the drip pan 22 and is adapted to drive fans 33 which are arranged in communication with the ducts 35 and are adapted to draw air downwardly through the ducts and discharge the air into the food compartment.

When a cake 0! ice 3!! is placed on the rack 25 and forced circulation is desired, the motor will be turned on to create a circulation of air rising at the front of the food compartment through the openings :3 and :2 and rack bars mm the horizontal duct 28 and thence into the vertical ducts 35 from which it is discharged at the rear of the food compartment. As the air passes along inside the tubular rack bars and horizontal duct it is thoroughly chilled to refrigerate the goods in the food compartment when discharged from the vertical ducts. If only natural circulation is desired the motor will be turned 01! and the warm air rising at the front of the food compartment will pass through the conditioning zone between the main drip pan i4 and the rack and down behind the main drip pan into the food compartment. "It will thus be seen that the structure as described so far is adapted selectively for forced circulation or natural circulation of air in the food compartment.

Where a customer desires the refrigerator set up for natural circulation only and does not wish to goto the expense of obtaining the forced air 55 circulation features a rack 40, Fig. 6, may be furnished. This rack comprises a plurality of bars ll connected together at their front ends by a supporting member 42 and at their rear ends by a supporting member l3. The supporting members are adapted to rest'upon the ledges i2 and I3 at the front and back of the refrigerator, re-

spectively. The rack bars may be of any suitable shape but preferably they are U-shaped in crosssection and increase in depth from front to rear so that at the rear the rack bars extend further into the conditioning'zone between the ice compartment and the drip pan ll than at the front.

By this means the ice cake 39 is caused to melt in a manner which will maintain the top of the cake in substantially level position, At therear of the rack bars a support 44 extends downwardb' and has a flange l5 thereon to which a cover plate 48 is fastened. This cover plate 46 covers the entire opening 23 in the rear drip pan and prevents melting ice water from dripping therethrough.

' partment at The cover plate 48 is arranged to decline toward the main drip pan It so that ice water dripping thereon will flow down and drip onto the main drip pan l3 and thence be carried off through the discharge is. v

Both forms of ice racks 25 and 43 cause the cake of ice to melt at the bottom in a manner which will maintain the top surface of the cake level so that the refrigerator may be reiced by merely sliding a new cake of ice on the level top surface of the old cake. No matter which ice rack is used melting ice water cannot drip onto the food in the food compartment but is all collected on the main drip pan I! from where it is carried oil through the discharge II.

A refrigerator built in' accordance with my inventionis adapted for universal use under all climatic conditions; it may be equipped with a forced circulation ice rack which can be used for forced circulation or for'natural circulation; or a forced circulation rack and a natural circulation rack may be furnished with each refrigerator for selective use; or the refrigerator may be selectively equipped at the factory with one rack or the other as conditions may require. With the forced circulation rack the user of the refrigerator is prepared ,to change instantly to natural or to forced circulation by turning the motor switch and it will be readily understood that the motor may be thermostatically controlled to work automatically as is well known in the arts. The forced circulation rack is particularly desirable under those conditions where the temperature changes are comparatively frequent so'that the shift between natural circulation and forced circulation can be made quickly and whenever desired. Where the temperature changes are more stable in different seasons of the year it would be desirable to have'two racks, for example. one for the summerseason and one for the winter season. The motor and fans are suspended in the food comthe back of the conditioning zone between the rack and the main drip pan by the vertical ducts which are in turn suspended from the rack, and the opening 23 in the rear drip pan is sufllciently large to permit the motor and its associated parts to pass through the pan when the rack is being inserted in or removed from the refrigerator. when the natural circulation rack is used the cover plate 45 thereon covers the opening 23 in the rear drip pan to prevent water pass-- ing therethrough.

' It is convenient to make the cabinet in a form to receive the forced circulation rack or the natural circulation rack. selectively, but this is not necessary if either rack is to be used constantly, and changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made to adapt the invention to refrigerators of different capacities and for other reasons within the-scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An ice rack for a refrigerator comprising means for supporting ice thereon, a horizontal duct having openings therein, a vertical duct suspended from said horizontal duct, a fan mounted on said vertical duct, and means mounted on said vertical duct for operating the fan to force a circulation of air below the ice and through said openings and ducts.

2. An ice rack for a refrigerator comprising means for supporting ice theron and including a horizontal duct at the rear of the rack having openings in its front, a vertical duct suspended from said horizontal duct, a fan mounted on said vertical duct, and a motormounted on said vertical duct for operating the fan to force a circulation of air below the ice and through said openings and ducts.

3. In an ice refrigerator, an ice rack comprising means for supporting ice thereon including a plurality of tubular bars and a horizontal duct having openings therein for communicating with the bars, fins suspended in said horizontal duct from the top thereof, and means for forcing a circulation of air below the ice and through said bars and horizontal duct.

4. In an ice refrigerator, an ice rack comprising a plurality of tubular bars having openings therein, said bars being of greater height than width and arranged side by side, a header duct communicating with the bars at one end of said rack, and means for forcing a circulation of air through said bars and duct.

5. In an ice refrigerator, an ice rack comprising a plurality of tubular bars arranged side by side, said bars being rounded at the top on a comparatively large radius and rounded at the bottom on a comparatively small radius and having straight sides with openings therein, a header duct communicating with the bars at one end of said rack, and means for forcing a circulation of air through said bars and duct.

6. An ice refrigerator having an ice compartment and a food compartment, an ice rack to support a cake of ice in the ice compartment and arranged between said compartments and comprising a plurality of tubular bars, each bar having a plurality of openings therein to receive warm air rising from the food compartment, a header duct connecting said tubular bars,..and means for'forcing a circulation of air through said bars and duct for cooling the air.

'7. An ice refrigerator having an ice compartment and a food compartment, an ice rack to support a cake of ice in the ice compartment and arranged between said compartments and comprising a plurality of tubular bars, each bar having a plurality of openings therein to receive warm air rising from the food compartment, a header duct connecting said tubular bars, a vertical duct connected to said header duct, and means for forcing a circulation of air through said bars and said header duct for cooling the air and through said vertical duct to discharge the cooled air into the food compartment.

8. An ice refrigerator having an ice compartment and a food compartment, a rack for supporting the ice in the ice compartment and comprising a plurality of tubular bars having openings therein, a header duct communicating with said bars at one end of said rack, a drip pan beneath the rack and spaced from one wall of the food compartment, and means for forcing a circulation of air through said bars and duct and down through the space between the drip pan and said compartment wall and into the food compartment.

9. An ice refrigerator comprising a cabinet having an ice compartment and a food compartment, ledges on the front and rear walls of the cabinet, an ice rack supported on said ledges, an inclined main drip pan arranged below the ice rack, and an inclined front drip pan arranged above the front part of the main drip pan to catch the drip from the ice on the front ledge and the front part of the rack, said front drip pan being spaced from the front wall and the front ledge to permit circulation of air over its front edge and between itself and the rack, and said main drip pan being spaced from said front wall and said rear wall to permit circulation of air over its front edge and between itself and the front drippan and rack and down .between its rear edge and said rear wall into the food compartment.

10. An ice refrigerator comprising a cabinet having an ice compartment and a food compartment, ledges on the front and rear walls of the cabinet, an ice rack supported on said ledges, an inclined main drip pan arranged below the ice rack, an inclined rear drip pan arranged above the rear part of th main drip pan to catch the drip from the ice on the rear ledge and the rear part of the rack, said rear drip pan having an enlarged opening therein and a flange about the edge of said opening, and a cover for said opening.

11. An ice refrigerator comprising a cabinet having an ice compartment and a food compartment, ledges on the front and rear walls of the cabinet, an ice rack supported on said ledges and comprising a plurality of tubular bars having openings therein to receive warm air rising from the food compartment, a header duct connecting said tubular bars, vertical ducts connected with said header duct, fans connected to said vertical ducts, a motor for operating said fans to force circulation of air through the tubular bars and ducts into the food compartment, 9. main drip pan beneath the rack, a rear drip pan arranged to catch the drip from the rear ledge and the rear part of the rack, said drip pan having an enlarged opening therein'and a flange about the edge thereof, and a cover on said vertical ducts over said opening.

12. An ice refrigerator comprising a cabinet having an ice compartment and a food compartment, ledges on the front and rear walls of said cabinet between said compartments, a rack supported on said ledges and comprising a plurality of tubular bars arranged side by side and a header duct connecting said bars at one end of said rack, said bars having openings spaced apart throughout the length thereof, and means for forcing a circulation of air through said openings and bars and header duct to cool the air and discharge it into the food compartment.

13. An ice refrigerator comprising a cabinet having an ice compartment and a food compartment, a rack to-support ice in the ice compartment, and an inclined drip pan below the rack, said rack comprising a plurality of tubular bars arranged side by said and having openings in their sides whereby air in the food compartment will circulate in the conditioning zone between the rack and the pan and through said openings and bars.

14. An ice refrigerator comprising a cabinet having an ice compartment and a food compartment, ledges on the front and rear wallsof said cabinet between said compartments, a rack supported on said ledges and comprising a plurality of tubular bars arranged side .by side and a header duct connecting said bars at one end of said rack, said barshaving openings spaced apart throughout the length thereof, heat conduction fins within said header duct, and means for forcing a circulation of air through said openings and bars and header duct to cool the air and discharge it into the food compartment.

CARL EDWARD HARRY FRYKDAHL. 

